Instant collar stays

ABSTRACT

An insert for packaging a shirt can be designed to provide one or more instant collar stays. The insert includes an insert member that is used for packaging the shirt. The insert member can be provided with one or more detachable regions, and each said detachable region can be in a shape of a strip that is adapted to be used as a collar stay in the shirt.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to providing instant collar stays.

BACKGROUND

Collar stays are rigid and smooth strips that can be inserted into specially-made pockets at the back of the collar of a business shirt or dress shirt, so that the collar of the shirt can be stabilized and maintain its sharp and crisp appearance. The collar stays need to be removed prior to dry cleaning and laundering in order to avoid bending and even damaging the stays or the shirt itself After the dry cleaning and laundering, the collar stays should be put back by the cleaning personnel.

However, more often than not, the cleaning personnel may either fail to remove the collar stays prior to cleaning or fail to put the collar stays back after the cleaning The results of either case can be unfavorable. For example, a traveler may discover upon arrival at his destination that a collar stay is missing from a shirt he has packed, and it will be inconvenient and expensive to find a replacement. These are the general areas that embodiments of the invention are intended to address.

SUMMARY

An insert for packaging a shirt can be designed to provide one or more instant collar stays. The insert includes an insert member that is used for packaging the shirt. The insert member can be provided with one or more detachable regions, and each said detachable region can be in a shape of a strip that is adapted to be used as a collar stay in the shirt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A-1C illustrate different types of inserts that can be used for packaging a shirt in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a butterfly collar support with one or more instant collar stays in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a butterfly collar support with multiple pairs of instant collar stays in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is illustrated, by way of example and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” or “some” embodiment(s) in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

Shirts such as business shirts and dress shirts need to be routinely cleaned, either in a dry-cleaning establishment, in a laundromat, or at home. After dry cleaning or professional laundering, a shirt is returned to the owner in a package. Different types of packaging inserts can be used in the package to keep the shirt in optimal condition prior to wearing. These inserts can include: butterfly collar support or collar butterfly, collar strip or collar band, shoulder guard, and other types of inserts. These inserts are generally disposed of once removed from the shirt.

FIG. 1A-1C illustrate different types of inserts that can be used for packaging a shirt in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1A, a butterfly collar support or collar butterfly 101 can be placed under the collar of a shirt in order to keep the collar stiff and/or in place. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 1B, a collar strip or collar band 102 can be used to fasten around the neck of a shirt. Also, as shown in FIG. 1C, a shoulder guard 103 can be used when a shirt is returned using a hanger. Each type of insert can be provided in many different shapes, sizes and varieties.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, instant collar stays can be conveniently provided in the inserts that are used for packaging the shirt. These inserts can be designed with detachable regions in the shape of a collar stay that can be easily removed and used as an instant collar stay.

The following description of the embodiments of the invention uses butterfly collar support as examples for inserts that are used for packaging a shirt. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of inserts can be used without limitation.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of one or more butterfly collar support with one instant collar stay in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the butterfly collar support 200 includes an insert member 201 that can be placed under the collar of a shirt in order to keep the collar stiff and/or in place. The insert member can be in the form of a flat sheet or can be bended into a curved plane to fit into the shirt. There can be one or more detachable regions 202 and 203 within the insert member. Each said detachable region can be in a shape of a strip, which can be used as instant collar stay once detached from the insert member. The strip can be rounded at one end and pointed at another end.

As shown in FIG. 2, each detachable region in the insert member can be surrounded with one or more separation lines 212 and 213. The separation lines for the detachable regions can be designed to allow that the instant collar stay can be easily removed or detached from the insert member. Furthermore, the separation lines can be optimized so that the edge of the instant collar stay, once in use, is smooth in order to prevent damaging the fabric of the shirt.

The separation lines can be formed using different techniques. For example, the separation lines can be formed by stamping the insert member, by cutting away portions of the insert member, by molding the insert member, and by making closely-spaced perforations in the insert member.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides perforated plastic inserts or perforated paperboard inserts, which are designed with perforations in the shape of collar stays that can be easily removed and used as instant collar stays.

As shown in FIG. 2, the butterfly collar support can include at least one pair of detachable regions, with each detachable region located on one wing of the butterfly collar. The at least one pair of detachable regions can be removed to provide at least one pair of instant collar stays for supporting two collars in a shirt.

The insert member of the butterfly collar support can be made using different types of material. For example, the material can be composed of either plastic or cardboard. Also, the detachable region can be in a different material from the rest of the area of the insert member. In one example, a metal collar stay can be embedded into a plastic butterfly collar support. In another example, a thicker or stiffer plastic collar stay can be embedded in a thinner or softer plastic butterfly collar support.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a butterfly collar support with multiple pairs of instant collar stays in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the inserts, for example a butterfly collar support 301, are often large enough to accommodate multiple pairs of instant collar stays 302, 303, 304, 305. The multiple instant collar stays can be either all the same size and shape or a variety of different sizes and shapes to allow for different collar types.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, an insert can be selected for packaging a shirt by matching the collar type of the shirt with the type of instant collar stay provided in the insert, so that the instant collar stay on the particular insert member can be adapted to fit in a particular type of a collar of the shirt.

The instant collar stays in the insert member can be designed with different lengths, so that the instant collar stays can be best fit in the insert member. As shown in FIG. 3, in order to best use the space in the butterfly collar support, the instant collar stays 304 and 305, which are close to the bottom edge of the butterfly collar support, are shorter than the instant collar stays 302 and 303, which are close to the top edge of the butterfly collar support.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for making instant collar stays in inserts for packaging a shirt. This method can comprise the steps of providing an insert member that is used for packaging a shirt, and forming one or more detachable regions on the sheet member using different techniques. Each said detachable region can be in the shape of a strip that is adapted to be used as a collar stay. These steps can be performed either manually or using machinery.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for providing one or more instant collar stays in an insert for packaging a shirt. This method can comprise the steps of selecting an insert member that includes one or more detachable regions, each of which is in the shape of a strip that is adapted to be used as a collar stay, and packaging the shirt with the insert member.

The foregoing description of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to the practitioner skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. An insert with one or more instant collar stays, comprising: an insert member that is used for packaging a shirt; and one or more detachable regions within the insert member, wherein each said detachable region is a strip that is adapted to be used as a collar stay in the shirt.
 2. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the insert member is at least one of a butterfly collar support, a collar band, and a shoulder guard.
 3. The insert of claim 1, wherein: there can be at least one pair of instant collar stays within the insert member with each instant collar stay located on one side of the insert member.
 4. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the insert member is composed of plastic.
 5. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the insert member is composed of cardboard.
 6. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the one or more detachable regions within the insert member is composed of a different material than the material in the rest of the insert member.
 7. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the insert can be selected for packaging a shirt by matching the collar type of the shirt with the type of instant collar stay provided in the insert.
 8. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the instant collar stays in an insert can be designed with different lengths so that they can be best fit in the insert member.
 9. The insert of claim 1, wherein: at least one said detachable region within the insert member is adapted to be fit in the collar of the shirt.
 10. The insert of claim 1, wherein: said one or more detachable regions within the insert member are formed by stamping the sheet member to form separation lines.
 11. The insert of claim 1, wherein: said one or more detachable regions within the insert member are formed by cutting away a portion of the insert member to form separation lines.
 12. The insert of claim 1, wherein: said one or more detachable regions within the insert member are formed by molding the insert member to form separation lines.
 13. The insert of claim 1, wherein: said one or more detachable regions within the insert member are formed by closely spaced perforations made in the insert member to form separation lines.
 14. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the separation lines are optimized so that the edge of the instant collar stay is smooth in order to prevent damaging the fabric of the shirt, once the instant collar stay is in use.
 15. The insert of claim 1, wherein: said strip is a smooth strip that is rounded at one end and pointed at another end.
 16. The insert of claim 1, wherein: the insert is a perforated plastic insert or a perforated paperboard insert, which is designed with perforations in the shape of a collar stay that allows for an instant collar stay to be easily removed and used.
 17. A method for making one or more instant collar stays in an insert for packaging a shirt, comprising: providing an insert member that is used for packaging the shirt; and forming one or more detachable regions on the sheet member, wherein each said detachable region is a strip that is adapted to be used as a collar stay.
 18. A method for providing one or more instant collar stays in an insert for packaging a shirt, comprising: selecting an insert member that includes one or more detachable regions, wherein each said detachable region is a strip that is adapted to be used as a collar stay; and packaging the shirt with the insert member. 